Fighting the urge to yawn, Sootpaw glares at Eveningpaw as the two circle cautiously around each other.

Frowning, Sootpaw flashed out a paw but Eveningpaw leaped backward and the blow never connected. With a hiss, Sootpaw pushed off with his hind legs as hard as he could, and thrust himself in the air. But instead of landing on Eveningpaw as he had planned, the molly twisted onto her back. Splaying out all four of her legs, claws extended as soon as Sootpaw landed on her belly, Eveningpaw fastened her claws into Sootpaw's shoulders and haunches. Sootpaw hisses as those claws draws blood, and then yelps as Eveningpaw rolls them over, pinning him.

"That's enough," Lizardstripe meowed and Eveningpaw immediately got off of him. The pale brown molly looked down at Eveningpaw with satisfaction in her yellow eyes, "You performed that move well. It's a good one to remember when a Felis leaps on you in battle. Often the Felis that finds themselves underneath has the worst of the fight, but this way you can get back in control,"

"You did well Eveningpaw," Raggedsnarl praised, pride glowing in his yellow eyes, before he turns his head to Sootpaw and growls, "and of course you fuck things up. To think you were able to beat my son," he shakes his head before turning his gaze away, not seeing the way Sootpaw was glowering at him, "Branchpaw, you can work with Tanglepaw. Nightpaw you can work with Bullpaw,"

Branchpaw swallows, looking slightly disconcerted at the thought of working with an apprentice who was more experienced in fighting, while Tanglepaw was obviously not happy with being paired up with an outsider.

"I think you did well," a soft voice whispers in Sootpaw's ears and he looks up at Nightpaw, who smiles encouragingly at him. The molly was an outsider like him and Branchpaw, but was a foundling. An outsider found on the outskirts of the territory as a kitten alone. The reason that Sootpaw didn't see her on his first few days in Shadowmire was because the other had been stuck in the Soothepurr den from a long cut that went across her neck. She had laugh and said that Eveningpaw had forgotten to keep her claws sheath during battle training.

"And yet we're doing it now, claws out," Sootpaw thought, licking at the blood that dripped down his shoulders. He turns to Raggedsnarl who frowns, "I'm fine, I want to try again," he keeps his gaze on the other, while the dark tabby just glared at him. The last few days have been filled with training, returning to the Apprentice Den with a new scratch and ache and then rising once more when Lord Mourna's eye rose up into the sky to do it all over again.

But Raggedsnarl shakes his head, "There's no point…you're done for the night," he looks down at Sootpaw, "Go see Pricklenose for those scratches..I don't need you complaining about them hurting if they get infected,"

Frowning, Sootpaw quietly turns, his tail bristling as he walks away from the Burnt Scyamore. He didn't know why Raggedsnarl decided to be his mentor if he hated him so much, if he thought oh him as worthless. Not wanting to go back just yet, Sootpaw wander a bit until he founded a spot that was surrounded by holly bushes. Making sure that he was alone, he tried to move again: first the leap, and then rolling over to splay out his paws, ready to grab his opponent.

"This would be better if I had someone to help" he thought with a huff, a bit disappointed.

And as if Lady Nocta heard him, a voice calls out, "Do you want help?" started, Sootpaw looked over his shoulder to see Sunrisepaw looking at him with a tilt of his head, "You really need a partner to do that move,"

Giving his fur a shake, Sootpaw frowns at the other, "I would be stupid if I refuse to let him help...and wouldn't Raggedsnarl be impress with me when he sees I can do the move perfectly!" he nodded his head, "Okay,"

Sunrisepaw smiles brightly at him, and padded over, "I'll leap and you grab," he told him, "That way, you get to practice the more difficult part,"

Nodding his head, Sootpaw watches as Sunrisepaw leaps and quickly tries to roll over, but he yelps as the larger apprentice squishes him, pinning him down, "I can't get my paws in place fast enough," he complains with a grunt as the other gets off of him.

"You have to watch me more closely," Sunrisepaw explained, "You should know when the leap is coming, and be ready. Try again,"

Taking a deep breath, Sootpaw watches Sunrisepaw more closely, spotting the tensing of the golden' tabby's muscles before he leaped. Rolling onto his back and spreading his paws wide, he smiles as he wrapped his paws around him and flipped him over, "Got you!"

Sunrisepaw chuckles, "Seems you did...now get off," scrambling, Sootpaw watches as Sunrisepaw sits up and shakes the scraps of leaves off his fur, "you did better,"

Frowning indignantly, Sootpaw glowers at him, "Better? It was brilliant," shaking his head though, he nodded at the other, "Thanks for helping me," he then frowns, "Shouldn't you be in the Soothepurr's den?"

"I wanted to hunt a bit, there's no fresh kill in camp," Sunrisepaw shrugs, "And anyway, Pricklenose is too focus on Needlefang to keep me in and Barkpaw is too much of a coward to stop me,"

"That's not very nice," Sootpaw mutters.

"Well I'm not nice to felis who don't stop their siblings from bullying me," Sunrisepaw remarked and Sootpaw blinks at that. Seeing the curiosity in his eyes, Sunrisepaw sighs, "It may surprise you but Barkpaw's littermates are Tanglepaw and Bullpaw. Their dam is Lizardstripe,"

"Their dam?"

Sunrisepaw purrs, "Yeah, she is in no way mother material. Her and her mate, Mucktalon had what felis would called an oops litter. As soon as she was weaned she shook her paws off of them and had Tickflight take over of caring them. She made it no secret that she held no love for them,"

Sootpaw couldn't help but let out a snort, at that, but he froze as Tanglepaw's voice calls out, "Look at this, Bullpaw," the diluted tortoishesll grins at the two, her green eyes filled with malice, "Looks like one of the unwanted kits is making friends with the Ruindweller,"

Bullpaw grins, snickering under his breath, "Maybe he hopes to find out who his mother is from him," at this, Sunrisepaw freezes, glaring at the two with orange eyes filled with hate. So much hate that it shocked Sootpaw a bit, "But I doubt it! If she gave him and Eveningpaw up, I doubt she would ever talk about them. She possibly feels shame for giving birth to two kits that smell like shit,"

"Leave him alone!" Sootpaw snapped, glaring at the two.

Tanglepaw sniffs, "Well look at that...the Ruindweller is sticking up for you! Maybe when he leaves he takes you and your sister with him. You three belong to the ruins!"

"I'm not a ruindweller!"

"Well everyone knows that your grandfather was a ruindweller," Bullpaw sneers, "And you don't even know who your mother is. For all we know, you have more ruinblood than Kingdomblood!"

"Maybe he does," Sootpaw growls, fluffing up his fur to make himself bigger, "But at least he's wanted," he grins as Bullpaw and Tanglepaw reared back, both looking at him as if he had just tore his claws into them, "You both know your parents but neither of them wanted you! By the Gods, Lizardstripe was more please to mentor Eveningpaw than she please to have you as her children!" he couldn't help the cold but gleeful feeling that welled up in him as a flash of hurt but yet these burning words seem heavy on his tongue. He knew that if his mother heard him she would bap him on the head and had stay in the nest until he cool down. His father wouldn't say anything, but just look at him in disapointment.

But they were not here, it was just him, Tanglepaw and Bullpaw, and Sunrisepaw who laughs, standing up to next to him, looking more confident since the two over, "That's right, they never wanted you two unlike my father who wanted me and Eveningpaw. So I suggest you two shut your mouths before you say something you regret! Cause no one will care if you go back to camp crying about the wounds me and Sootpaw will give you if you keep it up!"

Tanglepaw hisses, and look like she wanted nothing more than to scratch their ears up glares at her brother who nudges her shoulder with his nose, "Lets get going...Raggedsnarl said that if we keep things up with our training he'll pick us for the raid on Windmoor! He won't if we show his ruindweller of a son how much better we are!"

Tanglepaw huffs, before glowering at Sootpaw and Sunrisepaw, "I suppose your right...and they're not worth it anyway,"

Sootpaw watches as they padded away, Tanglepaw's nose sticking up as if she was smelling something terrible but Sunrisepaw breaks out in laughter, "That was brilliant!" he exclaims looking at Sootpaw with orange eyes filled with joy, "I mean...sure I could handle them on my own, I'm not weak," he scoffs, but he looks at Sootpaw with warmth in his eyes, "But...thank you. Other than father, only Needlefang had stood up Tanglepaw and Bullpaw when they get going on Eveningpaw and I,"

"Its no problem," Sootpaw reassured, feeling a bit warm, "And...only your father and Needlefang? Surely someone…"

"Nightpaw, maybe," Sunrisepaw shrugs, "But Eveningpaw thinks its not a good idea to hang around her since it will get other felis going about...about our outsider blood," he looks down, shuffling his paws, "We know our father is Raggedsnarl, how can he not be with Eveningpaw looking so much like him… but we don't know who our mother is," he shuffles on his paws, "Me and Eveningpaw were brought to Shadowmire by both him and Needlefang one night...they said that our mother want to keep her identity a secret...as if she was shame by us...many think its Foxheart," he shakes his head, frowning, "But I don't think so...she may be my mentor but she doesn't act like how Rainfeather or even Berrypuddle acts around kits...she doesn't act like what I think a mother is,"

Sootpaw looks at him, sympathy surging in his body. He remembers that while strict his mother was so kind. Nubes love all four of them, and it was of this love that she was concern with Blazepaw and Sootpaw joining the Kingdoms, who have a hatred for Coalitions. "It must be terrible for him and Eveningpaw...to not know who she is," "Have you ever asked Raggedsnarl about her?" he mewed hesitanly.

"Over and over," Sunrisepaw sighed, "Both me and Eveningpaw. He gets this sort of...sad look before he grows angry and then tells us it doesn't matter as long as we're loyal to Shadowmire,"

Sootpaw frowns, he could tell that it did matter to Sunrisepaw, but the other shakes his head, "I'm hungry and I want to eat," he started to walk off before he stops, and turns his orange gaze to him, "Do you want to join me?"

Not responding, Sootpaw scrambles after him, "Maybe he isn't so bad after all,"

Sootpaw was swelling in pride as he helped Sunrisepaw drag a capybara through the thorn tunnel, carrying it as best they could to the fresh-kill pile. A few kits were squabble a carcass of a heron and the bright ginger form of Cougar shoulder the much smaller form of Feather away from it, "I need this!" she announced.

Feather's brother, Storm, a black tom with dark blue eyes and orange scales on his neck and along his back sprang up, nipping the end of Cougar's tail, "We all need it, shit head!"

Brackenfoot, tottered up to the kits and snatched the heron away, before Cougar could protest, he given them a soft glare, "We caught prey for season after season. Don't you think we deserve one measly bird in the beginning of summer? Especially from kits who seem to not appreciate it. When prey is running smoothly?" he turned and stalked off, the heron clamped firmly in his jaws. Feather stared after him, before scampering off to Darkflower who lay besides the entrance of the nursery, purring in amusement and giving her head a soft lick in comfort. While also scolding Storm who ran towards them, the little black tom's ears pinning to his head.

Brackenfoot padded up to Littlebird and Lizardfang, the two elders looking up in delight as he drops the carcass in front of them. "Here," he nudges the prey closer to them with one paw.

But before either the two could start eating, Foxheart bounded up to them and shoulder the elders away, "I'm a warrior, I have to keep my strength up,"

"What?" Lizardfang snaps, his fur bristling, "Kits, Monarchs and Elders eat first! That's the Kingdom code!" he turns his gaze to Raggedsnarl, who was silently talking to Crowtail.

"Oh let her have it," Littlebird mutters, watching as Foxheart snaps it up in her jaws, dragging it towards Wolfclaw and Nutwhisker, who crouch down and began to eat alongside Foxheart in swift bites, in case Raggedsnarl spoke something to them.

Instead though, Raggedsnarl walked up to them, ignoring how Brackenfoot stared at him indignantly from beside the two elders, "I thought I told you to go to the Soothepurr's den," his eyes narrow on Sootpaw, as his voice drops into a soft snarl.

"But I was-" Sootpaw begins to explained but it was Sunrisepaw who cuts him off.

"It's my fault dad," Sunrise stated, placing the capybara down, "I went out hunting and I saw Sootpaw heading back towards the camp. I thought it would be best to show him how to hunt, rather than let him starve since he's going to be focusing on battle training. Just get it done and out of the way,"

Raggedsnarl stares, before nodding his head in approval, "I suppose you are right, Sunrisepaw. Can't have the Ruindweller wither away til he nothing," he eyes the prey that laid between them, "Take that to Barkpaw and share it with him. With Pricklenose huddle up underneath the Shadedroots with Needlefang, he has been taking care of our wounded," he flicks his tail to dismiss them.

Grabbing the capybara between them, they once more drag, this time over to the two large rocks that made up the Soothepurr den and slip underneath. Sootpaw blinked at what lay beyond the narrow entrance, which was a tiny clearing edge by thick clumps of ferns. At the far a pool of clear water reflected the leaves of the oak tree that sat beside it.

Laying in the ferns was Flintfang, who was still some out of it after the attack from Windmoor. Barkpaw was crouching beside the wounded gray tom, using his teeth and front paws to press new wads of cobwebs. The two weren't the only one in the Soothepurr den, as a very large smoked black tom, who had patches of white and teal scales covering his belly. The two apprentices place the capybara down, and waited a respectable distance for the warrior to finish speaking the Soothepurr apprentice.

"So, Barkpaw," the dark tom addressed Barkpaw with a confident meow, "It's been a few days now, how is he?"

"Tired and exhausted, Vukturefrost," Barkpaw spoke up without looking up from his patient, "the few times he has woken up, he isn't fully there. Give him time to fully recuperate, and not trying to open his wound by pleasing everyone," he looks up, and his yellow eyes twinkle mischievously, while his whiskers twitched, "Even you know better than to argue with a Soothepurr, even one that still hasn't gotten his full name yet,"

Vulturefrost's eyes flash but he then snorted, "You are correct, I wouldn't even dare," he turned to leave, and Sootpaw's eyes widen at the sight of his paws. All four of them were covered in white scales, just like Sootpaw's own left paw. Sootpaw sat up straight, anxious to impress, and making Sunrisepaw snort as Vulturefrost stalked right past them.

"Nice, Sootpaw. Very nice," Sunrisepaw smirks as Sootpaw deflates, "and don't worry, Vulturefrost is very hard to impress, I don't think he even likes any apprentices," he then turns to Barkpaw, "and what is up with that?!" He meows, orange eyes widen shock, "you can't be the same Felis that was Barkpaw who allowed Tanglepaw and Bullpaw to walk all over him!"

Barkpaw playfully glares, "Happens when you have someone to talk to beside two litter mates who are just angry at the world and lashing out at everything and everyone in sight." He then eyes the capybara, "is that for me?"

"For us," Sunrisepaw remarked with a roll of his eyes. Before he could say more Flintfang shot up, his yellow eyes wide in terror.

"No.. no no no," he moans out, curling in on himself, "She didn't need to die… why? Why? There is so much blood… why did they do it? She just wanted peace! Is that so hard? Y-you didn't need to rip her throat out! Please! Please mercy… mercy…" his sides heave as he tries to breathe, and Barkpaw runs to the other side, picking up one of the fronds and scooping out a small white flower with a large yellow center.

Bringing it over, he sets it down in front of Flintfang, the orange scaled tom shivering in fear, his full gaze fixed on the wall of the cave as if it was something terrifying, "Easy, Flintfang," Barkpaw soothes, "your safe, your back in camp far away from the Rising Hills. Why don't you eat some of this," he coaxes the tom to lap up the flower, watching with relief in his eyes as Flintfang munches on it, "Chamomile, it's soothes the mind. He needs it," Barkpaw frowns, and anger shines in his yellow eyes, "What Windmoor must have done to Bishop Sagewhisker… It must have been horrifying. I hope Raggedsnarl makes them pay,"

Sunrisepaw nodded his head, and crouches down, "When I'm a warrior, Windmoor will never dare even lay one claw tip on our territory, let alone hurt any of us! I'll teach them to stay out of our way!" Barkpaw yelps as Sunrisepaw swipes at him.

"Hey watch it! You're going to claw my tail!"

"What tail? All I see is a moss ball that is in need of being shredded into scraps!"

Sootpaw watches, a small chuckle escaping from him. But his stomach churn as his thoughts ran wild. "Father.. he said that while Kestreltail acts rashly in fits of anger, he is usually a gentle Felis, kind to all. But… Felis can change… and it has been seasons since father and him have seen each other." He frowns, ears pinning to his head, "Father did say he met him because he was on a journey to kill someone… that he only stopped because of father…" he shakes his head, pushing his head up. "I should stop worrying about Windmoor and a Felis I have never met. I'm of Shadowmire now… and I need to focus on proving that to Raggedsnarl and everyone else!"

Awww would you look at that, Sootpaw has made friends with Sunrisepaw!

Honestly to tell you guys, it will be awhile before we come back to Blaze's pov. We already know somewhat what's going to happen with Blaze, so I'll be focusing on Soot for awhile.

Anyway, can you guys please? Pretty please leave some reviews? I know only a few people read this but I would like some of your thoughts and what you all think of this. And to the people who have review! Thank you!